Cup wrap

ABSTRACT

A cup wrap made of plastics in a conical tubular shape by injection molding, having a corrugated light transmissive body wall and a bottom rim radially inwardly protruded from the bottom edge of the body wall.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to cup wrap designs and more particularly, to a conical tubular plastic cup wrap for holding a paper cup, providing an excellent thermal insulation effect.

2. Description of the Related Art

Conventional cup wraps are commonly made of a corrugated paperboard in a conical tubular shape for holding a paper cup that holds hot tea or coffee. As the corrugated paperboard material is not transparent, the cup wrap will block the trademark or logo of the paper cup being carried therein, obstructing the sense of beauty. Further, conventional paper cup wraps are kept flattened before use. When using a paper cup wrap, the user must stretch open the paper cup wrap and then sleeve the opened paper cup wrap onto the paper cup. However, as the corrugated paperboard material of a conventional paper cup wrap has a certain range of rigidity, it takes time and labor to open the paper cup wrap. Further, when putting multiple paper cup wraps together, in a stack, a certain storage space is necessary for keeping the stacked paper cup wraps.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is the main object of the present invention to provide a cup wrap, which has a light transmissive body wall through which the trademark or logo of the paper cup held therein is visible from the outside, showing a sense of colorful or designing beauty.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a cup wrap, which can be directly picked up for service without opening it, enhancing use convenience in use.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a cup wrap, which allows multiple cup wraps to be received one inside another, saving storage space.

To achieve these and other objects of the present invention, a cup wrap is made of plastics in a conical tubular shape by injection molding, having a corrugated body wall.

The plastic corrugated body wall can be transparent, semitransparent or colorful, rendering a sense of beauty. The conical tubular design of the plastic corrugated body wall facilitates service and storage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of a cup wrap in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the cup wrap cup wrap in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the cup wrap in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a schematic drawing illustrating an application example of the cup wrap in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a part of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 5, wherein the paper cup is indicated by an imaginary line.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 7, illustrating a cup wrap constructed in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 7, illustrating a cup wrap constructed in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 7, illustrating a cup wrap constructed in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Four examples of the present invention will now be described hereinafter with the annexed drawings.

Referring to FIGS. 1-4, a cup wrap in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention is shown. The cup wrap 10 is a conical tubular plastic member made by injection molding, having a diameter reducing in direction from the top side to the bottom side. The cup wrap 10 comprising a corrugated body wall 11, and a bottom rim 12 radially inwardly protruded from the bottom edge of the corrugated body wall 11.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, a sectional view illustrating the cup wrap 10 sleeved onto a paper cup 20 and an enlarged view of a part of the sectional view are shown.

The bottom rim 12 provides a reinforcing effect of rigidity. After sleeved the cut wrap 10 onto a paper cup 20, only the bottom rim 12 of the cup wrap 10 is actually kept in contact with the paper cup 20, and the other part of the cup wrap 10 is suspending outside the paper cup 20. The gap between the cup wrap 10 and the paper cup 2 can be as small as, for example, 0.1 mm-0.2 mm, i.e., the transverse width of the bottom rim 12 that extends radially inwardly from the corrugated body wall of the cup wrap 10 at a distance H. In this embodiment, the distance H is about 0.1-0.2 mm. When the user holds the cup wrap 10, the corrugated body wall of the cup wrap 10 will be forced toward the periphery of the paper cup 20, however, only a part of the ridges 14 (see the imaginary line shown in FIG. 1 where the ridges extend axially from the top side of the cup wrap to the bottom side thereof) of the corrugated body wall 11 of the cup wrap 10 will be kept in close contact with the periphery of the paper cup 20, and the other part (more particularly, the furrows of the corrugated body wall of the cup wrap) is spaced from the periphery of the paper cup 20, as shown in FIG. 7, reducing heat transfer.

The aforesaid structure involves the reinforcing effect of rigidity of the plastic material. When a material having a relatively higher level of rigidity or thicker corrugated body wall is used, the elastic deformation range of the cup wrap 10 will be relatively reduced, and the contact surface between the ridges 14 of the cup wrap 10 and the periphery of the paper cup 20 can be maintained in the optimal line shape. On the contrary, when a material having a relatively lower level of rigidity or thinner corrugated body wall is used, the elastic deformation range will be relatively increased, and the contact area between the ridges 14 of the cup wrap 10 and the periphery of the paper cup 20 may be exhibited in the form of lines of contact surface.

If the cup wrap 10 has a high level of rigidity to provide sufficient support, the bottom rim 12 can be eliminated.

Further, the cup wrap 10 can be made of light transmissive plastic material by injection molding, for example, transparent or semitransparent plastics. Alternatively, the cup wrap 10 can be designed to provide a corrugated body wall having a semitransparent or color pattern therein through which the trademark or logo of the paper cup is visible from the outside, showing a sense of colorful or designing beauty.

According to the present invention, multiple cup wraps 10 can be arranged one inside another, saving space occupation. Further, when using the cup wrap 10, the user can directly pick up the cup wrap 10 for service and need not to stretch open it. The use of the present invention in a shop facilitates quick service delivery when crowded.

Further, the cup wrap can be recycled for repeated use. Further, subject to injection molding for mass production, the cost of the invention can be as low as a similar corrugated paper cup wrap.

Referring to FIG. 8, a cross-sectional view illustrating a cup wrap 30 sleeved onto a paper cup 20 in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention is shown.

According to this second embodiment, the cup wrap 30 comprises a plurality of longitudinal ribs 31 respectively protruded from the ridges of the corrugated body wall thereof and vertically straightly extended along the respective ridges. This structural design ensures a line contact between the cup wrap 30 and the paper cup 20, reducing heat transfer.

Referring to FIG. 9, a cross-sectional view illustrating a cup wrap 40 sleeved onto a paper cup 20 in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention is shown.

According to this third embodiment, the corrugated body wall of the cup wrap 40 has furrows and ridges 41, wherein the furrows have a semicircular cross section; the connection area between each two adjacent furrows forms one of the ridges 41. When the cup wrap 40 is sleeved onto the paper cup 20, only the ridges 41 are kept in contact with the periphery of the paper cup 20.

In the aforesaid three embodiments, the furrows of the corrugated body wall of the cup wrap are arranged in a continuous series. However, the continuously corrugated body wall design is not a limitation. The furrows of the corrugated body wall of the cup wrap can be interrupted, or curved in a different form.

The continuous series of wave-like or smoothly arched furrows and ridges enable the user to hold the cup wrap comfortably. However, except the wave-like or semicircular shape, the furrows of the corrugated body wall of the cup wrap can be made having a triangular cross section. As illustrated in FIG. 10, a cross-sectional view illustrating a cup wrap 50 sleeved onto a paper cup 20 in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention is shown. This fourth embodiment achieves the same effects as the aforesaid other three embodiments. 

1. A cup wrap being conical tubular plastic member made by injection molding, comprising a corrugated body wall having a plurality of furrows and ridges and a diameter reducing in direction from a top side thereof to a bottom side thereof.
 2. The cup wrap as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a bottom rim radially inwardly protruded from a bottom edge of said corrugated body wall.
 3. The cup wrap as claimed in claim 2, wherein said corrugated body wall is continuously corrugated.
 4. The cup wrap as claimed in claim 3, wherein said corrugated body wall comprises a plurality of longitudinal ribs respectively protruded from said ridges and vertically straightly extending along the length of said ridges.
 5. The cup wrap as claimed in claim 2, wherein said furrows of said corrugated body wall has a smoothly arched cross section; said longitudinal ribs extend vertically straightly along the length of said ridges.
 6. The cup wrap as claimed in claim 2, wherein said corrugated body wall is light transmissive.
 7. The cup wrap as claimed in claim 2, wherein said furrows of said corrugated body wall have a triangular cross section.
 8. The cup wrap as claimed in claim 2, wherein said corrugated body wall comprises a plurality of longitudinal ribs respectively protruded from said ridges and vertically straightly extended along the respective said ridges.
 9. The cup wrap as claimed in claim 1, wherein said corrugated body wall is continuously corrugated.
 10. The cup wrap as claimed in claim 1, wherein said furrows have a semicircular cross section; the connection area between each two adjacent said furrows extends vertically straightly, forming one respective said ridge.
 11. The cup wrap as claimed in claim 1, wherein said corrugated body wall is light transmissive.
 12. The cup wrap as claimed in claim 1, wherein said furrows of said corrugated body wall have a triangular cross section.
 13. The cup wrap as claimed in claim 1, wherein said corrugated body wall comprises a plurality of longitudinal ribs respectively protruded from said ridges and vertically straightly extending along the length of said ridges. 